Anyone starting Chemo in August 07?

DGHoff

Nash, I was so glad to see that your MRI was moved up. I know how hard it is to wait!

Yeah, the brain mets is not so good, but they aren't completely sure its cancer. They said there were just three very small, very faint areas, and they don't want to do anything invasive and biopsy them, so they felt confident that four weeks of radiation would take care of it if it is mets. She's getting multiple days in a row of chemo and radiation to her neck chest and head all at the same time. Makes mine almost seem easy in comparison. Her docs are feeling pretty confident that they'll get her into remission, though. She's a tough lady, so we are all hopeful. 

Happy Friday to all!

DeAnn

wackyjackie

DeAnn, so sorry about your MIL.  Keep tugging her along.  Tough works!!!!

Nash, so happy your biopsy was moved up.  Not to say a biopsy is a good thing, but the sooner the better.  You must be going nuts.

Angie....I'm on facebook too.  Just check out DeAnn or Nash or Kaye....

Happy Weekend to all.

Hugs, Jackie

nash

Hello, girls. Am not too thrilled to report I can feel a hard little round lump in the area that lit up on the MRI. Perhaps it's a cyst that's been weight training? I do not have warm, fuzzy feelings about all of this.

I'm glad the biopsy got moved up, too. Who knew my ovaries would be so cooperative?

katoMato

Oh Nash. The only thing i can think of writing is an obscenity.

One strong hand reaching out to you, my sister. Hold on. We love you.

lilith

Nash... could it be that you bruised the area, feeling it all the time?? I can imagine that you have been frantically feeling yourself up. Any chance to get your gyno to feel it, and perhaps to an ultrasound? that will not write out the MRI, but could already help you in the meanwhile?

big hugs and lots of luv to you.

nash

Well, actually, I was taking the ostrich in the sand approach after the MRI finding, and hadn't been poking the boob much. The rad onc did a clinical exam a couple of weeks ago and didn't find anything. I decided a couple of days ago that I really should check more carefully, and found a spot that feels like a bb pellet in the area that lit up on MRI. I thought about u/s and all that, and wondered why the radiologist hadn't recommended it, but who knows. Just a couple more days until the biopsy, so I'll just forge ahead.

lilith

Keeping finger crossed Nashie. hopefully it is just a cyst - but I am so glad biopsy is soon, soon!

what are you doing already awake anyway? shouldn't you be sleeping blissfully??? 

lilith

Keeping finger crossed Nashie. hopefully it is just a cyst - but I am so glad biopsy is soon, soon!

nash

LOL, sleep? What's that?

lilith

oh you poor thing. silly me. I've actually tried to get rid of the stupid joke right away - but for some reason the site didn't do it.

Harley44

Hi girls,

So much going on here, I haven't had time to catch up!  Sorry...  I'll try to get updated when I get a chance.   I just got back from the cruise last week (on Thursday), and I just finished about 10,000 loads of laundry!  Now I need a vacation from my vacation!   

I have seen SOME of you on Facebook, but I haven't found ALL of you yet.  Let's see...   I saw Nash, and I know there were others, but I can't remember...  even before chemo, my memory wasn't too good, so now I have serious CRS issues... you know, Can't Remember Sh**!!!

I'm thinking of you Nash, and hope your biopsy shows that it's just a cyst...  I'll be praying for you!  

Also it sucks when your surgeon moves avay!  I have been SO afraid that my surgeon will move away, cause I really LOVE him, he is my FAVORITE doctor!!   I will see him in April and he better NEVER leave, or I'll track him down, and I just might follow him, if my insurance will allow it!

Hugs to all,

Harley

nash

Hey, Harley, can't wait to see cruise pics up on FB! Thanks for the prayers.

And no worries, Lilith! That made me laugh, in a good way, actually. Our mornings are so insane that the thought of blissful sleep was especially appealing.

lilith

ok, game on.

I just took my first Arimidex this morning, so I am officially off Tamox and on AI. Now lets see for the SE... after reading on the board, I am a bit apprehensive as some of the announced stuff I really really don't want - hair loss hugh, low sex drive hugh bis, more weight gain hugh ter, bone pain.... aaaaaaargh. but I pull myself up thinking that - well, happy people without SE don't post... and that I have already done tamox w/o SE....

Harley, welcome back. The cruise sounds wonderful, hope you had loads of fun! Laundry is our nemesis.

Hugs to all.  

katoMato

Hi Ladies,

Hug to Nash this morning.

Lilith (well, you can have a hug too, of course) I've been on Arimidex for one year and 2 months now. My SE's are annoying - but like the rest of it; it's doable.

First the bad: the achy joints. Pretty bad in the morning, but loosens up after about 20 or 30 minutes. If you have any small spots of preexisting arthritis (i do - Hallux - big toe - and a little in my hip - it seems to exacerbate it, but i'm not bed-ridden, just annoyed.) I take Micro-Lactin. It really helps. And I think the Arimidex is making me gain weight. Either that or it's the Ice cream. But still, I've been eating like a teenage boy, so I can't honestly blame it on the Arimidex. And it might lean me toward depression. But I try not to take much of anything too seriously. Sometimes life is depressing. It's natural. People and things disappoint us. Oh well. So I take Vit D3. It helps.

Now the good: I'm taking an itty bitty, teeny tiny pill, (plus the Calcium because Arimidex trashes your calcium) once a day - and it gives me peace of mind that I'm doing everything I can. It's all good. Plus....and some of you may concur here...this has been the stinkin' FASTEST YEAR i've ever spent. So another 4 is going to be easy. Hoopefully it will be as easy for you, Lilith.

Hi Harley! I'm on FB too. Glad your trip was good - looking forward to seeing the pics on FB.

Funny note: When I was on the Hike 4 Hope last Sunday, there was a gal there who wore a t-shirt with a cartoon picture of two boobs...real enough looking so that there was no mistake as to what they were - and the caption said: "Taking the Girls for a walk!" I loved it.

nash

Lilith, I hope the Arimidex will be smooth sailing for you. Fingers, toes, all that crossed.

Thanks for the hugs, Kaye. That's hilarious about the t-shirt at the hike. Love it.

OK, I'm optimistically going to go get my hair trimmed today. I'm sure this will seal my fate of a new primary tumor/need for chemo, sort of like making it rain when you've just gotten the car washed, but I'm going anyhow.

DGHoff

Love the t-shirt. I want one.

Oh, Nash. Waiting for those MRI results is going to have us all on pins and needles. Thinking positive thoughts and sending them your way.

Lilith, I hope the Arimidex will be easy on you. I'm still on Tamoxifen with no SEs, but once Kaye started mentioning the joint thing, I thought - hey - maybe that's why my knee suddenly goes out of joint every other day. Maybe it's a SE from the drugs.  And yes, I agree Kaye, this year did go soo freaking fast!

I'm waiting for cruise pics too, Harley!

lilith

Yep, I second the motion that it was a pretty fast paced year...

Kaye, I forgot you have been on Arimidex - now I feel I am in good company!!! I'll let you know how it goes. as for the weight gain - it will be that or the chocolate... ) no just kidding. I think I have to watch that. Tomorrow is the 3rd day, when my levels should be at saturation, so from then on I should be able to see if there are SE or only mild ones. I've had a bone density done last week, and I'll review the results with the onc next time - I am already taking additional calcium, and if there is osteopenia at all, that is just one more indication for Zometa or oral biphosphonates. I guess some sport wouldn't hurt either...

my mom is going in today for an MRI to check if her beast has been affected by the chemo or not. She has been hit quite hard by the chemo (she had no idea, poor thing), but as long as it has been effective I think she'll be fine... Doc says that they will not be able to see changes to the spine met, but as long as the lung is better they'll know it is working. Crossing fingers, and all.

nash, I am counting the hours with you until your Biopsy. Can't wait to have that cleared for you. Tomorrow is the big day, right? we'll all breath better once it is done.

Harley, when are you posting the cruise pics?

Jackie, hmmm - loved your pics on FB... you look gorgeous, and your new glasses are a bang.

 HUGS!!!

katoMato

I'll be praying for you today, Nash. (I have been. daily.)

nash

Thank you, girls.

I am back from the biopsy, and it went very well. Even though I have a cold today and thought I might possibly drown while in the MRI machine. But I kept my mind focused on all of you, and that helped a lot.

I love the new facility I'm at--much more civilized than the first biopsy I had done. The first one they'd had trouble numbing things up and I felt the whole thing, and it was done by a gruff male doctor who reeked of cigarettes. Blech. Anyhow, this time everyone was very kind and it all went very smoothly. Even the mammogram part wasn't bad--they only took two views and found the clip right away. Phew! Jackie, I don't know how your sis stood that part for 5 hours--I would have collapsed.

Anyhow, before we started the procedure the radiologist came out to talk to me. She'd originally rated the MRI a BIRADS4a, but when we spoke, she said she thinks there's about an 80% chance of malignancy. I don't know if she was just spouting off the top of her head, or if she reconsidered something after she wrote her preliminary report. Whatever. It is what it is. I'm not feeling too optimistic though.

nash

Lilith--how did your mom's MRI go? When will you get results? Sending lots of hugs and positive vibes your way.

lilith

Oh my god Nash. Okay, lets wait for the results. I don't know - I find a bit liberal from the radiologist to say those things, knowing that you will know for sure in just days. It feels it is useless and almost cruel (although I am sure it wasn't intended to be).... 

Also, lets remember we all had 10% chances to EVER get BC. Yet we all got it. So if there is 20% chance that it may NOT be malignant, it is a good chance still there.

My mom MRI was ok - the results tomorrow morning. I hope the beast has shrunk a bit, that will really lift her. Thanks for asking.

When are your results due? Nash - I'll be thinking of you. I don't pray - sorry - but lots of energy and thoughts and vibes your way. 

nash

Thanks, Lilith. Yeah, I know the radiologist meant well. Actually, I'd prefer she be negative than get my hopes up, only to find out that she's wrong. She did launch into a story about a patient yesterday who had an irregular mass that grew, that she thought for sure was malignant, and which they found out today is a fibroadenoma. Like you said, there is a possibility that I'll fall into the "good" side of the percentages. We'll find out soon. I see the onc on 3/11 and am supposed to have the results then.

I'll be eager to hear the results of your mom's MRI--I have all my fingers and toes crossed. 

katoMato

arrgh. Well. I'm glad your new place is better - at least that part is good. The rest?..well. We'll just have to wait.          I just hate this.

wackyjackie

Nash!!!

Why the f**k did the radiologist tell you that?  Please just wait and see.  They are all full of sh*t.  Just wait until the 11th.  They tell you it's nothing and sometimes it's something...maybe this time they tell you it's something and it better be nothing!  So sorry you have to even go through this. Big hugs to you and your family.  This really sucks.

Lilith, I hope all is well with Mom's MRI.  I'll be praying.

Lots of hugs to all of you, Jackie

lilith

well the MRI was a mixed bag. The onc told mom that he couldn't see much of a shrinking - but the last screen he had was from last november, so a long time before she started treatment - he surmise there may actually have been a sensible worsening before shrinking, and that would mean that it is successful. He is trying to reach the hospital who has the screens done just before start of treatment, and will call back.

There are also some small, small extra spots on the screen. He says it is unlikely it is a spread during chemo, and that if there is a cold or something on-going it would look exactly like that. SO, she has to start some antibiotics, and next thursday she will have the last of her 3 planned treatments. She is taking them so poorly, that if she is told she need more I am not sure what she will do. 

nash

Well, crap, Lilith. Wish your mom's MRI results were more definitive. Keep us posted when doc calls back after talking to the hospital. I hope she will not need more chemo. This is so hard on both of you--I'm sorry you all have to go through this.

I took my dressing off this morning, and could see from the bruising that the doc did biopsy the spot where I can feel a hard lump. I'd like to think the best, girls, but this spot feels like a smaller version of my first tumor. At the risk of sounding like Eeyore, I am pretty much just prepared for news of a new primary. If it's something else, then I'll be really, really happy.

On a related note, the nurse used paper tape for the dressing b/c I am so sensitive to adhesives. Well, even the paper tape irritated my skin. What the heck am I going to do for future dressings? Have my DH hold it in place all day long? Am running out of adhesive options here.

Anyhoo, hope everyone has a good day. I'm off to work on taxes--blech.

katoMato

Lilith, I'm so sorry your mom is having such a hard time - it's got to be brutal to have to just stand and watch. And then thinking about any future treatments - ah.

I'm still fascinated by the fact that a cold (and/or hormones for that matter) affect certain screenings.

Nash, what did you do before regarding tape? Some kinds affect my dh, too. I wonder if an antihistimine might help - topical or otherwise?

yellowtownhouse

Sorry I've been absent so long girls...just been trying to get acclimated to the new job and DH & I just got back from a 4 day trip to MS. 

We sure need some good stuff for a change and something to make us smile.  Nash, I feel right now like I'm breathing along with you....does that make sense?  I so clearly remember last August waiting for those damnable biopsy reports and living what felt like a life time in that 6 week period.  If anyone besides your dear family has you in their heart you know that all of us do.  We need to tell her girls, "you ain't heavy, yous my sister." 

lilith, So sorry to hear the chemo has been so hard on your Mom.  She's lucky in one thing though and that's having you be there for her. 

A question for all of you that are or have been taking Arimidex/Tamox.  Was it prescribed because you were hormone positive?  I can't get my brain to remember what I was told in the early part of this so fun disease.  I have never taken any and am assuming it was because I was triple negative. 

Harley/Kaye/Jackie/DeAnn/ I so enjoy hearing from all of you.  Ahhhhh.......a cruise....let's all go!

Best to all,

June

katoMato

Hi June, Hope your trip was enjoyable, and the new job fits well. 

It's a possibility you haven't been given the Arimidex because of the triple negative status. Arimidex is an Aromitase Inhibitor. Bear with my fuzzy brain for a moment here... Our bodies convert aromitase (or something like that)  into estrogen, so to prevent that they use Aromitase Inhibitors - to inhibit the conversion so that we don't have any estrogen circulating in our systems. My tumor was ER+ 100%, so I'm on it.  Tomoxafin (sp?) works differently, but they both have to do with the estrogen, so your thoughts on that make sense.

The cruise? book it, sistah. Although I'll have to work my way along - you know -small jobs in the little ports kinda thing. Shouldn't be too hard. Maybe i can set out a blanket on the deck and sell plastic stuff.  Or maybe I could scrub barnacles from the bottom of the boat.  Whatever. I'm reeeeeal ready. Of course, we all have to wait for Nash to be done with taxes. (fingers drumming on table.)

lilith

Hi June, 

yes, Arimidex is for ER positive folks. Kaye is right.

Tamoxifen blocks the usage of estrogen by our cells, it is a receptor blocker (our cells have little slots where estrogens fits like a puzzle piece; tamox uses the puzzle slot so that estrogen cannot fix).

AI (and arimidex is one) prevents the conversion of androgens produced by adrenal glands into estrogen, hence further depleting the estrogen in our blood stream. So it is only given AFTER menopause or after ovaries are shut down (chemically or surgically).

A cruise... hum. I'd be ready for a vacation, but with a new job, when oh when? I hope to be able to manipulate my boss into a buz trip out to CA... but not before summer. I'll keep you posted! Anyway, I might come around during summer anyway.

Nash, I will not add anything to all we said before. I am thinking of you constantly. If there is a god, he must hear us all.